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Fulton County, Georgia

Coordinates: 33°47′N 84°28′W / 33.79°N 84.47°W / 33.79; -84.47
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Fulton County
County
Map of Georgia highlighting Fulton County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 33°47′N 84°28′W / 33.79°N 84.47°W / 33.79; -84.47
Country United States
State Georgia
Founded1853
SeatAtlanta
Largest cityAtlanta
Population
 • Estimate 
(2006)
960,009
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Websitewww.fultoncountyga.gov

Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta6, the principal city of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 816,006. The 2006 Census Estimate placed the population at 960,009 [1].

Fulton County is the most populous county in Georgia and is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Fulton County was created from the western half of DeKalb County in 1853. This occurred when, during the 1840s, that county's seat of Decatur refused to allow a railroad terminal to be built due to noise concerns. A new point was selected a few miles west, and was later incorporated as Terminus. The town was renamed twice; first as Marthasville, and finally as Atlanta.

During William T. Sherman's March to the Sea during the American Civil War, Sherman spared Roswell because he had a cousin who lived there. As a result, Roswell has more pre-Civil War historical buildings up than anywhere else in North Georgia.

The name is often assumed to be in honor of inventor Robert Fulton, who (among many other inventions) built a steamboat in 1807. This assumption is likely because this steam engine was the predecessor to the steam locomotives which built Atlanta. However, some research now indicates that it may have been in honor of Hamilton Fulton, a surveyor for the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Nonetheless the County itself claims to be named after Robert Fulton [2].

At the beginning of 1932, Milton County to the north and Campbell County to the southwest became part of Fulton County, to save money during the Great Depression. This gave the county its current awkward and long shape along 70 miles or 113 kilometers of the Chattahoochee River. Neighboring Cobb County ceded the city of Roswell to Fulton to make it contiguous with Milton, including everything east of Willeo Creek. Additionally, parts of Gwinnett County and Cherokee County were swept in.

Governance

Fulton County is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners, who hold concurrent four year terms. The most recent election was held in November, 2006. Fulton County has a county manager system of government, in which day-to-day operation of the County is handled by a manager appointed by the Board of Commissioners.

Politics

Atlanta is the dominant city of Fulton County, occupying the county's narrow center section and thus geographically dividing the county's northern and southern portions. Atlanta's last major annexation in 1952 brought over 118 square miles into the city, including the affluent suburb of Buckhead, and was motivated in part to maintain a majority of white voters in the city. The movement to create a City of Sandy Springs, launched in the early 1970s and reaching fruition in 2005, was largely an effort to prevent additional annexations by the City of Atlanta.

Taxation

Geographically remote from each other because of Atlanta's annexations, the northern and southern sections of the county have grown increasingly at odds over the collection of taxes and distribution of services. Residents of the affluent areas of North Fulton have increasingly complained that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners have ignored their needs, taking taxes collected in North Fulton and spending it on programs in services in South Fulton. In 2005, the Georgia General Assembly directed Fulton County, alone among all the counties in the state, to limit the expenditure of funds to the geographic region of the county where they were collected. Fulton County contested this law, known as the "Shafer Amendment" after Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), in a lawsuit that went to the Georgia Supreme Court. On June 19, 2006, the Court handed down a decision upholding the legality of the Shafer Amendment.

The creation of the City of Sandy Springs left fewer residents in unincorporated North Fulton to subsidize the programs and services in South Fulton, prompting a move to create two additional cities that would completely "municipalize" North Fulton. In a domino effect, the residents of South Fulton then moved to create additional cities as well.

Municipalization

Since the 1970s, residents of Sandy Springs had waged a long-running battle to incorporate their own city. They were repeatedly foiled by the Democrats, but when control of state government switched to the Republicans after the 2002 and 2004 election, the movement to create the city picked up steam.

The General Assembly approved creation of the city in 2005. The citizens of Sandy Springs voted 94% in favor of ratifying the charter in a referendum held on June 21, 2005. The new city was officially incorporated on December 1, 2005, though the county will continue to provide most services under contract through sometime in 2006.

Creation of Sandy Springs spurried a movement toward municipalization of the entire county, which would incorporate every area into a city. This would essentially eliminate the county's home rule powers (granted in the 1960s) to act as a municipality in unincorporated areas, and return it to being entirely a local extension of state government.

In 2006, the General Assembly approved creation of two new cities, Milton and Johns Creek, that would completely municipalize North Fulton. The charters of these two new cities were ratified in a referendum held July 18, 2006.

The General Assembly also approved a proposal to form a new city called South Fulton. Its proposed boundaries will include those areas still unincorporated on July 1, 2007. As a direct result, many of the existing cities are proposing annexations while some communities are drawing up incorporation plans [3].

Secession

Residents of suburban North Fulton have long advocated that they be allowed to secede and form a new county, called Milton County, after the county that was absorbed into Fulton County during the Great Depression. Milton County was absorbed into Fulton County in 1932 but was said it would be restored if the proposal came forth.

North Fulton County is a very affluent (one of the most affluent areas in the nation), suburban, predominantly white area that is overwhelmingly Republican. South Fulton County is almost the exact opposite, mostly located in very urban inner-city Atlanta, that are predominantly black and very heavily Democratic. This does not include for the most part the former Campbell County area which is still a quiet, largely rural and unpopulated area located southwest of the city of Atlanta. The only major city of the former Campbell County area is Palmetto, which is on the Fulton-Coweta County line.

The major reasoning behind the push for the succession from Fulton County and the recreation of the former Milton County is that Fulton County is a very physically large county with a population larger than that of six other states, and the new government could be more responsive to the needs of proposed Milton County area. However there are more reasons than that. Even though northern Fulton County residents represent only 29% of Fulton County's total population, they pay a highly unbalanced 42% of property taxes. A separation of the county would put those taxes to better use for the northern Fulton County area but would lead to the loss of $193-million in property taxes alone for the rest of Fulton County.

The main opposition to the separation comes from the residents of south Fulton County who say that the proposed separation is racially based, said to keep the rich white residents separated from the black residents. Senator Vincent Fort, an Atlanta Democrat and member of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Committee, very strongly opposes the plan to split the county. "If it gets to the floor, there will be blood on the walls," Fort stated "As much as you would like to think it's not racial, it's difficult to draw any other conclusion." he would later add.

A firestorm broke out in Atlanta in 2006, most likely caused by disgruntled south Fulton County residents opposed to Fulton County's possible future separation, when Senator Sam Zamarripa (D-Atlanta) suggested that the cities in North Fulton be allowed to secede and form Milton County in exchange for Atlanta and Fulton County consolidating their governments into a new "Atlanta County."

North Fulton County is home to many of the owners of the businesses located in the city of Atlanta. Its economic strength, like many major American city suburbs, is due to the racially motivated white flight of the late 60s and 70s. Milton County was originally annexed into Fulton County during the great depression of the late 1920s and early 30s because it was economically unable to exist on its own. As history shows, now that times have changed and the new generation of wealthy, predominantly white north Fulton county residents have had a shift in economic and social growth they want to be defined as separate from the likes of the percieved and waning disparities faced by South Fulton county residents today.

Many proponents of the proposed Milton County did not previously take into account the cost of creating a new county. For instance, any Fulton County Debts from that region or that apply to the entire county as well as any standing contracts must still be honored by any new county.

Taxes

Fulton County has an 7% total sales tax, including 4% state, 1% SPLOST, 1% homestead exemption, and 1% MARTA. Sales taxes apply through the entire county and its cities, except for Atlanta's additional 1% Municipal Option Sales Tax to fund capital improvements to its combined and separate wastewater sewer systems and its drinking water system. [4]

Transportation

Almost every major highway (and every major Interstate highway) in metro Atlanta passes through Fulton County at some point, as it contains the bulk of Atlanta and all of its downtown. Outside Atlanta proper, Georgia 400 is the major highway through north Fulton, and Interstate 85 to the southwest.

MARTA serves most of the county, and along with Dekalb County pays a 1% sales tax to fund it. MARTA train service in Fulton is currently limited to the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, East Point, and College Park, along with the airport. Bus service covers most of the remainder, except the rural areas far southwest.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport straddles the line with Clayton County to the south. The Fulton County Airport, often called Charlie Brown Field (after aviator Charles Brown) or informally West Atlanta airport, is located just west-southwest of Atlanta's city limit. It is run by the county as a municipal or general aviation airport, serving business jets and private aircraft.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,385 km² (535 mi²). 1,369 km² (529 mi²) of it is land and 15 km² (6 mi²) of it (1.11%) is water.

Major Highways

Adjacent Counties

Fulton County, Georgia, is one of the few counties in the United States to border as many as 10 counties.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
186014,427—
187033,446131.8%
188049,13746.9%
189084,65572.3%
1900117,36338.6%
1910177,73351.4%
1920232,60630.9%
1930318,58737.0%
1940392,88623.3%
1950473,57220.5%
1960556,32617.5%
1970607,5929.2%
1980589,904−2.9%
1990648,95110.0%
2000816,00625.7%

As of the census² of 2000, there were 816,006 people, 321,242 households, and 185,677 families residing in the county. The population density was 596/km² (1,544/mi²). There were 348,632 housing units at an average density of 255/km² (660/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 48.11% White, 44.57% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 3.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.60% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 5.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 321,242 households out of which 28.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.30% were married couples living together, 16.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.20% were non-families. 32.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 35.50% from 25 to 44, 20.70% from 45 to 64, and 8.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,321, and the median income for a family was $58,143. Males had a median income of $43,495 versus $32,122 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,003. About 12.40% of families and 15.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.60% of those under age 18 and 15.20% of those age 65 or over.

Incorporated cities and towns

Unincorporated Communities

Education

All portions of Fulton County outside of the city limits of Atlanta are served by the Fulton County School System.

All portions within Atlanta are served by Atlanta Public Schools.

Template:Georgia

33°47′N 84°28′W / 33.79°N 84.47°W / 33.79; -84.47

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